A dad who measures up by Davide Cali and Anna Laura Cantone

My mummy is strong, my mummy is tall, my mummy is intelligent and my mummy can do jigsaw puzzles.  Our narrator, however, has no daddy.  She knows all the criteria.  He needs to be tall, strong, handsome, intelligent and like jigsaw puzzles. So the little girl and her mum put an advertisement in the paper.

In a series of scenes reminiscent of Princess Smartypants by Babette Cole, a number of daddy candidates turn up but each one fails the test.  One is not strong enough, another is hopeless at sums and one does not have enough hair.   Finally there is one fellow left.  He is not tall, he does not look like a movie star but he does look kind.

My new daddy is small and he is hopeless at sums but he knows lots of poems, he loves animals and he can cook!

You might guess that I love the last page :

"In the evening before I go to sleep, he reads me a story. And even sometimes two stories."

This is a lavishly illustrated book filled with joy and with an affirming message for children who are perhaps adjusting to a new daddy!  A terrific book for Fathers Day.

Here is a set of excellent teaching notes.